Friday, May 29, 2009

C’mon and do the Twist!

A pretzel twist that is—unless of course you really feel like busting out a move and dancing that’s a-okay with me!! Today I finally got around to making homemade pretzels! I have had this on my endless long list of recipes to make for awhile now and I guess the whole sound of “making pretzels from scratch” sounded a tad bit daunting. Good thing I was up for the challenge—and I was glad to find out that it wasn’t such a challenge after all, which means you can get in your kitchen ASAP and make them!

I got this recipe from my Food Network magazine and it was under their monthly feature Copy That where they try to recreate a “secret” recipe. This one of course was a replica of the famous Auntie Anne's pretzels. The verdict? I think they came out pretty close! So here’s the recipe and in the bold print is the changes I made to the original ingredients. I also made 12 mini pretzels instead of 6 jumbo, and I calculated the nutritionals using my adaptations and for one mini pretzel with a dusting of cinnamon, it will set you back just 110 calories! And being a “mini” pretzel, they are not really mini at all.

Food Network’s Almost-Famous Soft Pretzels

Active: 45 min Total:1 hr (plus rising) Makes: 6 pretzels or 12 mini

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 package active dry yeast or 1 packet fast rising yeast

3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

2 1/4 C all-purpose flour or 1 C whole wheat+1 1/4 all-purpose

2 Tbsp butter, plus a few more for brushing on pretzels

1/3 C baking soda

Directions:

Warm milk in saucepan until 110 F; pour into a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let the yeast soften, about 2 mins; stir in brown sugar and 1 C flour. Dice 2 Tbsp butter and soften; stir into the mix. Add the remaining 1 1/4 C butter and fine salt to make a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm spot about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450 F and grease a large baking sheet. Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 6 pieces or 12 if your making the mini pretzels. Roll and stretch each piece with your palms into a 30 inch rope. (15 in for minis) Form each rope into a pretzel shape.

Dissolve the baking soda in 3 C warm water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel into the soda solution and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes.

Melt a couple tbsp of butter and brush over the top.(The original recipe called for 8 TBSP of butter, and then to dip the whole pretzel in, but who needs all that butter?!) Their recipe called for a coarse salt topping, but I decided to take it a step(okay maybe 5 steps) further and turn these into some special pretzels—check it out!

Pretzel Number One

The Peanut Butter and Jelly Pretzel

Figured I would dedicate this one to one of my favorite bloggies over at Peanut Butter and Jenny! It was just some strawberry jelly slathered on, covered by 2 Tbsp of melted PB chips.

Pretzel Number Two

Pineapple Cream Cheese and Coconut Pretzel

Of course this pretzel needed to be dedicated to another sweet girl Laura at Pineapple Gurl! 1 Tbsp of Pineapple Cream Cheese topped with 1 Tbsp flaked coconut.

Pretzel Number Three

Plain Jane Powdered Sugar Pretzel

Unfortunately, I know no bloggers by the name of Jane, so no dedication here. Just a sprinkling of powdered sugar made it taste like funnel cake from the summer fair!

Pretzel Number Four

Double Chocolate Devotion Pretzel

1 Tbsp of chocolate frosting with a sprinkling of chocolate sprinkles.

Pretzel Number Five

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bonanza Pretzel

1 Tbsp of chocolate frosting and some sliced peanuts.

Pretzel Number Six

Choco-Walnut Bliss Pretzel

1 Tbsp chocolate frosting with 1 Tbsp crushed walnuts

Pretzel Number Seven

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

(2 in the middle)

Gotta go for now guys—my phone is ringing, I think it may be Auntie Anne’s calling to hire me! =) Have a fab Friday!

7 comments:

ohmygodthis is FABULOUS! there is nothing better than a warm soft prezel.. ahh, especially covered in coconut or chocolate or ummm PEANUT BUTTER! please move in with me and be my personal chef, girl! I beg you :)

OMG those pretzels look AMAZING!!! And thanks so much for the dedication and idea of the pineapple inclusion! You're awesome! I looove making pretzels but i have to admit i totally cheat because i make the dough in my bread machine... actually i never make any dough by hand anymore (bread, pretzels, pizza dough...) lol and mine never come out that pretty either i def havnt mastered the pretzel shape lol... anywho they are amazinggg and i want one! haha

Hey, I would like to ask how long you poached the pretzels in the baking soda mixture? Heard that too long a time would result in a bitter aftertaste...the recipe didn't really specify so would appreciate if you could provide some advice? THANKS!

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About Me

My name is CaSaundra, Cassie for short. I got married within the past few months, have a bulldog that is my best friend, and work as a manager of a frozen yogurt chain!
I hope to use my blog to show people how I make cooking both fun and rewarding, along with a little bit of everything else, a pinch and a dash at a time!